Re: git and "dumb protocols"

[Andy Whitcroft <apw@shadowen.org>]

Matthieu Moy wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> Is it possible with git to push to a server on which git is not
> installed, and if so, how?
> 
>>From the man page of git, sftp doesn't seem supported, and ssh://
> complains about git-receive-pack not being installed on the server.
> 
> The man page documents a rsync:// protocol, but
> 
> $ git push rsync://some.location.com/
> fatal: I don't handle protocol 'rsync'
> $ 
> 
> What am I missing?

To push only makes sense when you have git installed at the receiving
end.  It is the interaction between the source and destination git
instances which renders the push an effective optimisation.

If you are using rsync, then you can just rsync the whole repository out
and what is out there is as valid as your own copy.  Of course a repack
will make the whole thing changed and you'll pay on the next rsync.

git is designed with this use model involved, you 'git
update-server-info' then rsync the repo in-toto out to your http server
and it can be fetch'ed from (all be it less efficiently) by another
client.  All without any requirement for anything other than passive
data delivery at the server end.  Great if you don't have shell access etc.

-apw